


Finding Balance

by lasairfhiona, sharpiesgal (TigerLily)



Series: Clint/Tony/Steve saga [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Light BDSM, Multi, Nightmares, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sex Toys, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-27 21:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/666618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/sharpiesgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint has his carefully ordered world shaken when he loses a man during a routine mission. Will Tony and Steve be able to give him the badly needed balance he craves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Balance

**Author's Note:**

> artwork by the incredible slyfuck It can be found [here](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/sharpiesgal/6656232/2894/2894_original.jpg)

Clint felt exhaustion lick at the edges of his conscience which meant his adrenaline high was wearing off and he would be crashing as soon as he and his team were safe. Until then, he forced himself to remain awake and focused on the mission at hand.

He quickly scaled a pile of rubble that was once a building and scanned the area below it to see if anyone was snooping around the smoldering wreckage of their vehicles.

The sniper rifle felt heavy in his hands and made him wish he could have brought his bow on this mission. It was lightweight, silent and deadly, but he would make do with the rifle.

He set up the rifle and settled in for a long wait remembering from the mission briefing that transport would arrive several hours after they had confirmed the safe retrieval of a half a dozen of American hostages.

Six teachers from a small village school had been kidnapped several weeks before and the kidnappers being a group affiliated with the Ten Rings had brought the situation to SHIELD’s attention.

Clint and his team had been dispatched to retrieve the hostages. It was a fairly routine mission. Go in, free the hostages and get out before anyone was the wiser. Unfortunately, they had faulty intel, and because of it they ended up being attack by a group of insurgents that shouldn’t have been in the area and losing one of their own.

He softly swore as he felt sweat drip into his eyes causing him to blink them several times to clear them and ease the stinging. He was beginning to understand his lover’s dislike for hot and dry environments filled with people who kill indiscriminately.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder, which pulled him out of his head. “Yeah?” he whispered before risking a brief glance behind him.

“Transport will be here in thirty,” Special Agent Jasper Sitwell softly answered. He had volunteered for the mission when he found out that Clint’s team was a man down.

“Thank Christ,” Clint breathed. He pulled a hand from the rifle to wipe the sweat from his eyes and then onto the leg of his cargo pants. In the field, thirty minutes could be an eternity. “Any idea why a simple mission turned into a huge clusterfuck?”

“If I had to guess, I would say bad intel, but that’s Hill’s problem not ours.”

“Damn,” Clint sighed. He grabbed his canteen and took a few sips to wash the dust from his mouth. “Maria always gets to have the fun.”

“You have a strange definition of fun, Barton.”

“You’ve met my boyfriend,” Clint quipped with a soft chuckle.

“I don’t know what you see in Tony Stark, but the less said about that the better.”

Clint mockingly clutched at his heart. “I feel the love, Jasper. I really do.”

“That’s because I’m such a loveable guy.” 

Clint quietly snickered. “How are our guests fairing?”

“Mansfield and Jackson are tending to their injuries and getting them ready to move.”

“Where’s Ellis?”

“Keeping an eye on the LZ,” Sitwell replied. “What about here? Still quiet?”

“As a mouse in a cheese factory run by a cat.”

Sitwell softly chuckled. “Let’s hope it stays that way or you’re going to have a very disappointed boyfriend otherwise.”

“You’re cute,” Clint grumbled. Reminding himself to never tell Jasper about anymore of his date nights with Tony. “Now, go away.”

Sitwell patted Clint’s shoulder before leaving the archer to his surveillance.

& * &

Clint followed Ellis onto the transport making certain that no one was following them. They didn’t need their assailants to know that they had survived their little ambush.

Mansfield and Jackson helped the former hostages get settled while Clint stood guard until the door of the transport closed and it took off.

He settled onto a bench and rested the sniper rifle against his leg which kept it in easy reach should he need it.

“You can relax now, boss,” remarked Mansfield as he settled onto the bench next to Clint.

“I’ll relax once we’re back on the helicarrier,” Clint replied with a grim smile. His gut was telling him that they weren’t out of danger yet. And he learned a long time ago to always trust his gut, it had never steered him wrong yet.

“In that case,” Ellis drawled from where he had stretched out on the steel deck. “Let me catch some sleep and I’ll spell you in an hour.”

“Deal,” Clint agreed still amused that Ellis could fall asleep anywhere no matter the danger that surrounded him.

“You know Berndt’s death wasn’t your fault, right, boss?” Jackson asked as he finished stowing his and Ellis’ gear.

Clint rolled his eyes to keep from giving into the sudden desire to smack the junior agent up side the head.

“Jackson, you’re a fucking idiot,” Sitwell muttered. “And for that asinine question you get to write up the mission report.”

“Fuck,” Jackson growled causing everyone to laugh at him, but Clint.

“Be glad he didn’t assign you a month of hand-to-hand combat training with the Widow,” Ellis chimed in which caused Jackson to blanch and Clint to softly laugh in the back of his mind. He still found it amusing that the junior agents were afraid of Tasha. 

& * &

Clint jerked awake for what seemed like the millionth time in the hour since he had boarded the transport home. He was beyond exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes he saw Darrell Berndt being blown to pieces as his Humvee drove over the IED that had been quickly and efficiently buried in the road they had taken away from the Ten Rings camp.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and set up straighter in his seat causing his back to loudly crack. His body was telling him he needed to slow down because it was getting too old for the abuse he put it through between missions for SHIELD and the battling of villains with the Avengers. But with Coulson no longer in the field as a handler, they needed experienced people to handle and train the next generation of SHIELD agents.

He sighed. Knowing sleep would be elusive at best and nightmare filled at worse, he decided to distract himself by dismantling his sniper rifle. The feeling of pending doom had left once the transport had flown out of Afghanistan, so he wouldn’t need the rifle any longer.

“You know beating yourself up isn’t going to change anything,” Sitwell quietly said after he had heard Clint’s sigh. He had a good idea what was preoccupying his friend’s mind.

Clint looked up from the dismantled rifle. “That always sounds better coming from Phil,” he lightly quipped.

“Yeah, I know,” Stillwell admitted with a shrug. He handed over Clint’s rifle case and watched his friend tuck the various pieces of the rifle inside. “But, I thought I would give it a try.”

Clint let out a wry chuckle. Although it had taken time, he had come to appreciate Sitwell’s dry sense of humor. “Don’t quit your day job.”

“You going to be okay?”

“After a few shots of Stark’s good bourbon, some sleep, a hot shower and a home-cooked meal, I’ll be doing better than I am now.”

"Good." Sitwell nodded and hoped that would be all it took for Clint to be doing better than he was now.

& * &

Fury met the transport on the main deck of the helicarrier. He watched Clint’s team help the former hostages from the transport pleased at the outcome of the mission despite losing an agent.

“Barton, get your ass down to Medical,” he ordered his wayward agent. “Let them check you out before you leave for the Tower. Coulson will debrief you once you’ve gotten some rest.”

“Yes, sir,” Clint replied not intending to do as Fury ordered. He had his own ways of dealing with less than successful missions.

& * &

Clint slowly entered the penthouse suite of the Avengers Tower feeling like death warmed over. It was the price he paid for staying awake to watch over his team and the former hostages.

“Good afternoon, Agent Barton,” Jarvis said in greeting.

“Hey, Jarvis,” Clint said in reply. He walked over to the bar after dropping his gear behind the couch. He poured himself a shot of Tony’s good bourbon. “Where’s Tony?”

“He is at a board meeting with Miss Potts.”

“Well, shit,” Clint muttered. He knocked back his drink and poured himself another one. “So much for my welcome home kiss.”

“Shall I inform him that you are home, Agent Barton?”

Clint was for a moment tempted to let Jarvis do just that, but he knew how hard it was for Pepper to get Tony to do anything that had to do with SI business, so he pushed his desire to see his lover aside. “Nah...” he finally said. “Let’s keep it a surprise.”

“As you wish, Agent Barton,” Jarvis remarked.

Clint nodded. He polished off his second drink. He considered another one, but erred on the side of caution since he didn’t want Tony to find him passed out in the shower again. “Has it been quiet around here?”

“If you mean by quiet that Sir and Dr. Banner haven’t blown up their respective labs in several days,” Jarvis answered and Clint would swear the AI’s voice had a decidedly dry tone to it. “Then, yes, it has been quiet around here.”

Clint chuckled. “In that case, I’m going to go get cleaned up a bit.”

& * &

Jarvis had alerted Phil to the fact that Clint had returned from his latest SHIELD mission the moment he had entered the penthouse suite.

“I hate to interrupt the first real meal you’ve probably had in days,” he said as he strolled into the penthouse’s kitchen. “But, Doom is trying to remodel Brooklyn again.”

“He seems to have a hard-on for that particular borough,” Clint remarked with dry wit as he put away his sandwich making supplies and poured himself a tall glass of milk. “Makes one wonder what happened to him there that he wants to turn the place into his own personal home improvement project.”

“It might have something to do with Sue Storm,” Phil hazarded a guess as he silently cataloged all of his former charge’s visible injuries.

“I don’t know what he sees in her, but she’s with Richards now,” Clint grumbled between bites of sandwich and sips of milk. “He needs to move on.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that,” Phil said with a dry chuckle. “Wheels up in five.”

& * &

Clint found himself on a newer building that had the best visibility of the ongoing battle happy to be using his bow once again and wishing for the thousandth time that Reed Richards would do something with his arch rival, like bury the psychotic fucker in a deep, dark hole.

“Don’t get me started on the good doctor, Legolas,” Tony said with caustic bitterness over the comm as he took out two Doombots.

“I either said that last bit out loud or you’ve figured out how to read my mind,” Clint retorted firing an exploding arrow at an approaching Doombot. “Which is not creepy or anything.”

Tony softly laughed. “Welcome home, babe.”

“This isn’t my idea of a welcome home party.”

“Best I could come up with in such short notice,” Tony retorted sarcastically.

Clint snickered. “Love you, too.”

“Enough chatter, gentlemen,” Phil’s voice came over the comm.

“Right,” Tony drawled as he flew directly into the thickest part of the battle a streak of gleaming red and gold. “Time to kick some robot ass.”

& * &

Clint had quietly slipped down to the range as soon as he had arrived back at the tower. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Steve’s need to assess his injuries since he had gotten knocked off his perch when he misjudged the distance between himself and the remaining parts of an exploding Doombot. He also wasn’t in the mood to deal with Phil’s demand to debrief him about his latest SHIELD mission.

It wasn’t the first mission he had been on where a SHIELD agent had been killed, but it didn’t mean he was ready to deal with the fact he lost someone under his command. 

Roadside bombs were indiscriminate weapons used by desperate people, but that didn’t stop the doubts circling Clint’s mind as he fired arrow after arrow into the paper targets he had tacked on the far wall of the range.

He paused in his practice to remove his uniform top and tossed it on the floor behind him when it became too confining.

Sweat poured off him and he was becoming overly exhausted, but he couldn’t stop shooting, retrieving and shooting countless arrows. It was as if he were stuck in a mobus strip doomed to repeat himself until an outside force intervened. He just didn't know who that intervening force would be and he wasn't sure he could deal with any of them at this moment.

& * &

Tony touched down on the landing pad outside his penthouse suite several hours after the battle with Doom and his Doombots had ended. He had stayed behind to help with the clean up operations while Steve had made certain that the other Avengers, especially Clint, got back to the tower.

He impatiently waited for the Iron Man suit to be removed silently listening to Jarvis catalog all the damages sustained in the battle that would need to be repaired before the suit could be worn again.

“At least I got something to keep me busy for the next day or so,” Tony quipped once Jarvis was finished. “Where can I find Clint?”

“Agent Barton is currently in the archery range, sir.”

“Stubborn jackass,” Tony grumbled as he headed over to his bar and poured himself a finger’s worth of scotch.

“Problem, sir?”

“No,” Tony sighed. Clint was being his usual difficult self and his hiding in the archery range spoke volumes about the state of mind he was in. “I just wanted to welcome him home properly.”

“Shall I inform him that you’ll be joining him shortly, sir?” Jarvis politely inquired, although to Tony’s ears he sounded slightly amused at his creator’s current predicament.

“That won’t be necessary,” Tony remarked before knocking back his drink and heading down to the archery range.

* & *

Phil Coulson watched Clint fire countless arrows at paper targets pinned to the far wall of the archery range. He was thankful Clint had decided to not play with his explosive arrows. One Avengers related disaster to clean up in a day was enough for him.

He turned his head when he heard the elevator chime. He knew without a doubt that it would be Tony to come collect his wayward lover.

He still found it hard to see them as lovers because of their similar personalities, but they managed to make it work, which was all that mattered in the scheme of things.

Tony quickly left the elevator only to slow his pace when he saw Phil standing outside the range quietly watching Clint practice. “What’s going on that I don’t know?” he blurted out.

“Clint lost an agent on his last mission,” Phil answered the blunt question.

“How?” Tony knew that Clint was meticulous in planning and executing his missions having learned that from Phil, so for him to lose an agent would knock his world off axis. 

Phil normally would have answered that question with, “It’s classified,” but with Tony Stark one told him the truth because otherwise he would go looking for it himself. “Roadside bomb.”

“Shit,” Tony murmured. He knew Clint took failure very personally, so he pushed the horrible images that Phil’s answer had brought to the forefront of his mind back into their little box because his lover was going to need him before the day was over.

“You okay?” Phil asked concerned. He silently kicked himself for forgetting one of Tony’s possible triggers because he was so wrapped up in his desire to take care of Clint. “Do I need to get Steve?”

“I’m good,” Tony said opening eyes that he hadn’t realized that he had closed. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. Clint needed him, and that was all that mattered.

“Are you certain?”

“I have to be. Clint is going to need me,” Tony answered with a firm tone. “You may want to let Steve know what happened.”

“He already knows.”

“Of course, he does,” Tony lightly quipped. Steve was very good at ferreting out information on the people under his command.

“You know I can never keep anything from him.”

“I know,” Tony agreed with a smirk. “You’re such a fanboy.”

“Fuck you, Stark,” Phil retorted with no heat. It didn’t faze him that Tony still liked to tease him about his one time crush on Steve.

“Love you, too, Phil,” Tony retorted before opening the door to the range.

“Be careful,” Phil cautioned. Although Clint was a handler now, Phil still felt responsible for him and would personally inflict serious bodily harm on anyone who hurt him.

“I’ll take good care of our boy,” Tony promised and then disappeared into the range.

Phil stayed long enough to make certain that Clint and Tony didn’t come to blows before making his way back to the communal area where Steve was busy setting up for movie night.

& * &

Tony stood off to the side and watched Clint go through another quiver of arrows as he waited for his lover to notice him. Each shot had been perfectly placed around the center of each target, which amazed Tony since he knew how exhausted Clint had to be. He silently admired his lover’s body as sweat poured down Clint’s faintly scarred back which spoke of a hard childhood. Something Tony wish he could change, but knowing it was that very experience which made Clint the person Tony had fallen in love with.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to get Clint’s attention once his lover set his bow down to retrieve his arrows for another round.

Clint spun around and pointed his gun directly at Tony’s head before he realized that it was his lover and not a potential threat.

“Easy there, Robin Hood,” Tony softly said not moving an inch. He hadn’t seen Clint this wound up in months, which meant it was time for another session. “There are better ways to unwind from a mission than fill an empty target full of holes.”

Clint blinked a few times before he reholstered his gun. “Sorry, Tony,” he quietly murmured. “I’m not in a good place right now.”

“I can tell,” Tony said making certain that he didn’t sound the least bit judgmental. He knew from past experiences how hard it was for Clint to open up and talk about what was bothering him without feeling like he was on trial. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Okay,” Tony replied having learned that if he pushed Clint to talk he would shut down and go hide. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

Clint shrugged. He walked over to his bow collapsed it and put it in its case to be taken care of the following day.

“The others wanted to know if we wanted to join them for a movie night,” Tony said after several minutes of what to him was becoming deafening silence. “It’s Darcy’s turn to pick.”

“You go ahead. I just want to grab a shower and catch up on the sleep I missed the past few days,” Clint finally said knowing Tony expected an answer.

“Want me to join you?”

Clint shook his head.

“Alright,” Tony agreed not happy but knowing that his lover needed his space. “I’ll be up in a little bit.”

Clint gathered up his gear, gave Tony a soft peck on the lips and tossed, “Yes, Master,” over his shoulder as he left the range.

Tony smirked. It was nice to know that not only did he think they needed a session, but Clint thought so as well.

It was going to be a very enjoyable evening for the both of them.

Reaching into his pocket he fingered the present he had for Clint and thought about how his lover would react to this new toy. He had called Steve while the other man was out touring the last time and asked him to look for this little item. He had saved it until now knowing this particular object wasn't something he wanted to introduce just anytime.

* & *

Clint quietly made his way to the room he shared with Tony whenever he was in New York. He set his gear down in the closet reminding himself to do maintenance on his bow in the morning.

He stripped out of the rest of his clothes tossing them toward the laundry shoot before padding nude into the bathroom with the plan of taking the hottest shower he could stand.

Between dealing with the fallout from a less than successful mission and fighting a psychotic asshole’s metal monsters, he hurt in places he never knew existed.

Stepping into the shower, he sighed as the hot water beat down on the tense and aching muscles of his shoulders and upper back. When he felt some of the tension release, he grabbed for the shower gel and pouring some in his hand he massaged it in making sure to get every inch of his body clean for Tony for later. It wouldn’t do to disappoint his master.

As much as he wanted to be wrapped in Tony's arms, he needed this time alone to come to grips with everything that happened to him in the last seventy-two hours, but he also needed Tony. He needed time with his master, so that his world could be set right again.

Palming his cock, he gave it a few strokes, feeling it harden in his hand. With a smile, his first in what felt like months, he shut the water off and grabbed his towel. Roughly drying himself, he wrapped the towel around his waist and headed back into the bedroom. 

Clint dropped down on the bed after chucking the towel down the laundry shoot. He grabbed a leather strap from the bottom night stand drawer. He stroked his cock again, making sure he was mostly hard before taking both his cock and balls in hand and fastening the leather strap around them. With the cock ring in place he laid back and relaxed to wait for Tony to finish watching his movie. 

* & *

Tony did his best to appear interested in the movie even though he had seen it several times in the past. It was one of those feel good movies they all needed after a long day of battling super villains and their evil minions.

His mind kept wandering back to Clint and to what his lover might be doing in the shower, and also to how he could help right Clint’s world again.

He must have shifted in his seat one time too many because Steve leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Go to him. He needs you and you need him.”

“But, we’re getting to the good part,” was his token protest.

“Go,” Steve quietly ordered.

“Join us later?”

“Yes, now go.”

Tony softly sighed, stood up and left. 

* & *

Tony walked slowly toward their room thinking about what he wanted to do to and with Clint when he arrived. Slipping his hand in his pocket he fondled his new prize once again, knowing that would play a big part in taking care of Clint tonight. He also wanted to make sure he didn't rush things since he knew Steve would eventually be joining them.

Walking into the bedroom, he didn't expect to see Clint laid out before him with the cock ring on. Sound asleep. He couldn't help but smile as he crossed the room and gently sat down on the side closest to where Clint lay. He knew just how exhausted Clint was and how much of a toll the last few days had been on his lover simply by the fact he didn't even stir when Tony sat down.

He was tempted to leave Clint sleep, god knew they all needed their sleep after this one, Clint especially. But, it was the blank expression Clint wore in the range and his lack of saying anything that spoke volumes as to how badly they needed a session. So he ran a finger lightly down Clint's chest from the hollow at his throat to the base of his cock and back up again.

Tony wasn't in a hurry and he knew just how long the movie was and when Steve would be joining them so he knew he had time so he continued to run a single finger along Clint's body. At first it was just lines up and down, they turned into intricate Celtic knots which in the end turned into mathematical equations. He continued to use Clint's body as a tablet until he felt the hitch of breath indicating his lover was beginning to stir.

Now that Clint was waking, he upped the ante and ran his fingers across Clint's nipples causing them to harden and then down to draw lines up and down his soft cock and back up to the nipples to brush across them again before blowing a stream of air across them. He continued going back and forth between Clint's cock and nipples watching the cock harden under his hand until he looked up and saw Clint looking at him, his pupils blown wide. 

"Hey," Tony said leaning over to drop a kiss in the middle of Clint's chest. 

"Hey," Clint echoed then dropped his eyes not making contact with Tony's.

Tony noticed the submission immediately even from Clint's prone position. It wasn’t often that his lover willingly allowed his submissive side out to play. 'Oh yes,' he thought this was going to be a good night. “You can look up,” he softly commanded.

Clint looked up and smiled. “Already seen the movie?”

“Yeah,” Tony admitted as he reached out and ran a finger along Clint’s leg this time causing the archer to shiver. “Like that?

“You know I do,” Clint murmured.

“Want me to take the edge off before we start?”

“Yes, please.”

Tony leaned over and licked up Clint's cock, making sure to swipe his tongue over the head collecting the precum leaking. 

"God, Tony, don't tease."

Granting Clint's wish he swallowed the archer’s cock down to the leather strap and sucked. He sucked hard which caused Clint to arch off the bed with a loud moan. 

Clint curled his fingers deep into the sheets and gave into the pleasure Tony was giving him. It had been awhile since he had anyone touch him but himself.

Tony pulled off and looked up. He smiled when he saw how wrecked Clint looked. “You need more?”

“Please let me come,” Clint softly begged.

Tony undid the strap and swallowed Clint again.

As he sucked Clint, he ran his tongue up and down the length of Clint's cock and teased the slit. It wasn't long before Clint flooded his mouth with a groan. Tony swallowed and gently licked Clint clean, before leaning his head on the archer's thigh and lazily ran his fingers through the dark blond curls. "Better?"

"Yeah," Clint sighed.

"Good."

Clint reached down and sank his fingers in Tony's hair giving it a tug. When Tony looked up at him, "I still want, need, this."

"Do you mind if Steve joins us?" Tony asked knowing that Steve was already planning on joining them but he needed to make sure that Clint was on board with it just in case.

"No, I think we all need this tonight."

“Yeah, we do,” Tony agreed. “Let’s get ready for him.”

Clint groaned his muscles still ached even after the soothing shower he had had earlier. He rolled out of the bed. He held out his hand to Tony with a smirk.

Tony grabbed it and allowed Clint to pull him to his feet. “What are you smirking about?”

“Your little problem.”

Tony reached down and adjusted himself in his pants glad to be wearing yoga pants instead of jeans. “Later.”

“I can take the edge off for you,” Clint offered.

“I appreciate that,” Tony said leaning in to softly kiss Clint. “But, later, when Steve is buried hilt deep in my ass.”

“Damn,” Clint murmured. “Nobody can accuse you of not being imaginative.”

Tony chuckled and pulled Clint into the bathroom. He pushed him toward the shower while he stripped and placed his new toy on the vanity for Steve to find.

He joined Clint in the shower and took the shower gel from him. 

Tony took his time soaping Clint's body, making sure he was clean and checking the bruises that were now forming and making sure the cuts weren't too deep. 

When he was satisfied Clint was okay, he turned him around and kissed him deeply.

"Starting without me I see."

"Join us?" Clint asked. 

Steve quickly stripped, dropping his clothes in a pile on the floor and stepped into Tony's huge walk-in shower. He first kissed Clint and Tony. "You okay?"

"I am now," Tony replied allowing Steve to check him over like Tony had done Clint. Even though the suit protected him, he still had a few bruises that were slowly forming.

When Steve was sure both men were okay, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist holding out one for each of them. "Dry each other off and I'll meet you in the bedroom," Steve said as walked out of the room and dropped down into the comfortable chair next to the bed to watch. As much as he needed them, needed to know they were okay; he wanted to watch them together. Watch how they opened up for each other in ways he never saw them open up to anyone else.

Steve smiled when Tony and Clint walked out, if they had pockets they would be in each other's pocket. Digging under the towel, he pulled out the leather straps. Tossing them on the bed, he instructed, "Put them on each other," and smiled at their look of anticipation.

Clint and Tony settled on the bed, laying next to one another they kissed and touched until they were mostly hard before they put the leather straps on each other. Once they were ready they turned to Steve eagerly waiting his next command.

Steve smiled at their obedience as he stood up and walked over to them. He ran his hand down each of their hips. He knew what they needed; he'd had a long conversation with Phil and knew what they were facing with their archer. 

"Can you wear a plug?" When he saw Tony nod he instructed, "Pick your favorite and have Clint prepare you for it." 

Tony nodded and Clint responded with a "yes sir," which made Steve smile. Sitting back down, he watched as Clint took the bottle of lube and knelt behind Tony slowly preparing him. His fingers sliding in and out of Tony's ass as he stretched and scissor them until Tony was ready and almost begging for more, Steve walked over and ran his hand along the curve of Tony's ass. 

"Pick one out," Steve instructed.

Crawling across the bed to the nightstand, Tony pulled open the bottom drawer where their favorite toys were kept. He pulled out a royal blue plug that was just a little smaller around than Steve. He wanted, needed, to be filled, but he still wanted to feel the slight burn from Steve when he fucked him.

Handing the plug to Steve, Tony watched as Steve took it and examined it and noted how it flared out at one end. Tony nodded when Steve asked, "Are you certain?" 

Steve found it interesting that Tony's million a mile a minute chatter ceased when sex entered into the equation. It didn't mean that Tony was completely quiet in bed just that he found better things to focus his brilliant mouth on.

"I need you to tell me this is what you want," Steve commanded. He needed to hear Tony say he was alright with this request, because Tony had a bad habit of putting others’ pleasure before his own which was a contradiction of his public image.

"Yes, sir. It is," Tony answered.

"Good," Steve said as he slowly pushed the plug in caressing Tony's back at the same time. When the plug was fully seated he rubbed up Tony's back, and rolled him over before he leaned over to kiss him gently. 

Tony ran his hand down Steve's chest as they kissed and grasped his cock only to have Steve pull back and smack his hand away. 

"No, you do not get this now," Steve said as backed off the bed and returned to his chair ignoring Tony's whimper.

Clint bit back a snicker. 

"Attend to Clint," Steve instructed and when Clint was once again on the bed kneeling next to Tony he added, "Prepare him, slowly, but do not touch his cock. I want you to make him aching and hard and then you can play with your new toy."

Tony gasped at the thought of running his prize up and down Clint's leaking cock, drawing gasps from him as he did. He pulled the lube from where Clint had stashed it and started to prepare his lover.

Tony slowly prep Clint making certain that he was nice and loose. "Do you want me to fuck you with your favorite dildo?" he asked as he slowly eased his fingers out of Clint and reached for the purple dildo that rested on the top of their other toys.

"Yes, please," Clint moaned.

Tony looked over at Steve for permission. "Sir, may I?" 

Steve stood and walked up to the bed sitting on the edge, his own cock leaking. He ran his hand over Clint's ass possessively; he knew that even as close as Clint was, he could withstand more. "Yes, you may," Steve allowed then stood and reached into the drawer and pulled a third leather strap out. "But first put this on me, Clint." 

Clint rolled slightly and crawled to the edge of the bed where Steve stood and wrapped his hand around Steve's cock and balls holding them out while he wrapped the leather strap around them and snapped it closed. Daringly, he dropped a kiss on the tip of Steve's cock peeking out of the foreskin and looked up at Steve licking the drop of precum away as he did. 

"You're pushing, Clint,” Steve warned. “I may have to punish you for that."

"If you feel you must," Clint replied indifferently. Punishment was something he secretly craved and tonight he felt that he deserved it, but wouldn’t ask for it since it cause him to get lectured.

Steve knew enough to know that this was what Clint wanted. So he'd give it to him in a small degree, he wasn't completely ready to take their archer apart yet and he knew Tony needed to be the one to do it, so he'd just warm Clint up a little. "On your hands and knees," he ordered.

And when Clint complied, he continued, "Brace yourself. I do not want you falling over." When he saw Clint was ready he ran his hand over Clint's ass then proceeded to land six hard blows, three to either cheek. Enough to sting but nothing else for now. He turned to Tony when he was finished and said, "Proceed. Take him close to the edge and use your new item and the dildo," with that said he returned to his chair.

Tony picked up the dildo and coated it in lube before he slowly inserted it into Clint, stroking in and out a few times before he held out his hand to Steve, knowing their third had the item he'd save for this moment tucked away with him. 

Steve handed it to him and watched the smile that grew on the genius' face at the warmth of the stone. 

"Roll over, Clint," Tony requested and when Clint complied with the request with a moan from the dildo still filling him, Tony smiled even more. He knew what Clint felt. He'd been trying to ignore what the plug he wore was doing to him every time he moved. 

With one last glance at Steve, Tony ran the warm stone along Clint's hip and then ran it up his cock.

"What the hell?" Clint exclaimed rising up off the bed to see what Tony was doing.

Holding up the perfectly formed arrowhead, Tony smiled. "I asked Steve to fine me one on his travels and since he didn't like the quality of the ones he had found he learned how to knapp flint and made me, us, one," Tony explained. 

"Oh god," Clint said with a groan as he dropped back down on the pillows. How Tony knew that doing this to him was at the top of his kink list he'll never know. It had always been his secret. He'd never told anyone he'd sometimes used his own arrows to get himself off.

"Are you okay," Steve asked concerned they may have gone too far with Clint.

"Don't stop with the arrowhead," he managed to say as Tony returned to running it up and down his cock and over his balls, using both the flat side and the slightly sharp edges.

Tony smirked.

“No need to look so smug, Tony,” Steve quietly remarked.

“Sorry, sir.”

Steve laughed. "No, you're not, but continue," he instructed as he watched Tony and Clint together.

It was all Steve could do not to run his hand down his chest and take his cock in hand as he listened to their moans and gasps as they found pleasure in each other’s bodies.

Tony continued to tease Clint with the flint arrowhead occasionally leaning up to steal a kiss or tweak a nipple. When Clint couldn't take anymore he caught hold of Tony's hand and stopped his teasing. "Let me come, sir," he pleaded with eyes clouded with lust. "Please."

Tony removed the dildo and set it aside before turning to Steve and asked, "Should I?”

Steve got up and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed; he ran his hand down Clint's body and grasped his cock to test how far gone Clint was. By the sounds Clint made when he was touched he knew it was time. Doing the same to Tony produced different results. Tony was almost in pain. Steve pulled away and demanded, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not about me, sir, it was about Clint," Tony answered a bit defiantly. He was use to orgasm denial since it was something he and Clint had experimented with before asking Steve to join them in their sessions.

"Your safety and pleasure are important too," Steve reminded him. He thought for a moment how to bring that point home to Tony and decided he needed his own punishment. "On you hands and knees over Clint," he instructed. 

Standing behind Tony, he landed four blows to each side of Tony's ass and one solidly to the center over the plug that had Tony nearly in tears. "That should remind you to speak up, when your pleasure turns to pain. We have safe words for a reason Tony and if you can't learn to use them, then I will not allow you to play anymore.” 

"Yes sir," Tony said meekly. 

"I'm serious Tony. We use this as an outlet and while this is not a lifestyle choice for us, it is still serious and I will not have you taking your own pleasure for granted," Steve elaborated. Dropping a kiss at the base of Tony’s spine, Steve added more lube and slowly pulled the plug from Tony, setting it aside to be cleaned later. Leaning forward, Steve whispered in Tony's ear, "Remember, you ever do that again, and you will never be allowed to play with toys in my presence again. I have to be able to trust you." 

Tony hung his head and answered, "Yes sir."

Steve turned his attention to Clint. "Are you ready?" 

"Yes sir." 

"Good. I want you on your hands and knees over me," Steve instructed as they shuffled around the bed to get into position. He'd figured out from watching them together how to take Clint apart so they could put him back together, and it wasn't about Clint making them punish him. It was about praising him so he would confess what had happened and be allowed to work through the pain and guilt with them there to help him. 

When Clint was in position, Steve praised him, shifting just enough to make sure their cocks touched and would rub together with every thrust from Tony. 

"Tony, you will keep your strap on until the last minute but I want you to fuck him."

"Yes, sir," Tony replied obediently.

Clint moaned as Tony slowly slid inside at Steve's direction. Steve's hands on his body, gently touching him, caressing his back, lightly brushing his nipples, and his cock rubbing against Steve's all added to his sensory overload. But, it was the litany of praise from Steve that finally undid him.

"Now, Tony," Steve instructed as he pulled Clint's strap off. He knew when he saw a second strap land on the bed Tony had done the same.

Tony pushed into Clint a few times before coming.

Clint came with a cry and collapsed down onto Steve with tears running down his cheeks.

Tony pulled out and dropped off to the side of them resting a hand on Clint’s back as his lover cried into Steve’s shoulder.

Steve ignored his need to come as he held Clint allowing him to grieve. He even ignored the tears that pooled on his chest.

Tony rolled off the bed and walked into the bathroom, returning a few moments later with warm soapy cloths to clean Clint up. Once Clint was clean and dried off as best he could he dropped the used towels along with the dirty toys off the side of the bed and curled back up behind Clint, caressing down the archer's back, comforting him while he cried out his grief. 

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Steve asked when Clint shifted and moved to wipe his eyes.

"Maybe," Clint said with a sniff.

Steve rewarded Clint with an arched brow. “Maybe?”

“Steve,” Tony softly warned he didn't want Clint to feel like he was being pushed into something he wasn't ready for.

“No,” Clint said, reaching over to soothe a hand down Tony's hip. “It's okay, Tony.”

“Are you certain?”

Clint rolled over and cupped Tony’s face looking deep into his brown eyes. “Thank you. I’m certain,” he replied and then he softly kissed him.

Steve smiled as he watched Clint and Tony kiss. They were beautiful together.

Clint eventually broke the kiss and turned back to Steve. “I’m ready to talk, but first we need to take care of you.” He had noticed that Steve hadn’t gotten off when he and Tony had.

"I can wait," Steve tried to tell them. "If you need to talk."

"I do," Clint said, rolling over on top of Steve so he was resting on the soldier's chest, "Remember what you told Tony? You can't wait and you shouldn't have to." With that said Clint leaned down and kissed Steve deeply. 

"Clint?"

"You take care of Tony, you take care of me, you never ask for anything for yourself. Well, *I* want to take care of you. Now." Clint was adamant and he hoped Tony was on board with taking care of Steve. Looking over, he saw Tony's smile and he knew they had the same goal in mind. 

"Tony?" Clint asked, wanting to know if Tony wanted to go first.

"All yours."

Clint smiled and kissed Steve one more time before starting to move down his body. He made sure he paid attention to each nipple before following the line of hair downward to where it spread out once again and surrounded Steve's cock. He licked it from root to tip and swiped his tongue over the tip briefly toying with the foreskin before licking away the precum that was leaking steadily from the slit. With each swipe of his tongue Steve moved to follow his mouth.

Looking up Clint saw Tony had wrapped himself around Steve and was caressing Steve's chest making sure to brush the palm of his hand over his nipples. The archer smiled and sucked Steve's cock in until his nose was buried in the brown curls at the base.

He tasted the salty precum and leather from the strap but he continued to move up and down Steve’s cock using his tongue to tease the man closer and closer to the edge. When he felt Steve tighten his fingers in his hair he stopped his teasing and sucked Steve's cock all the way down. He released the strap allowing Steve to finally come.

When he had licked Steve clean and crawled back up Steve's body and claimed his mouth in another kiss before sliding to the side so he was surrounded by both of them. He enjoyed their embrace while Steve's breathing returned to normal

He knew he had to; needed to, talk to them, to tell them in his own words what happened but he found it hard to speak of it. When he finally found his voice he rubbed Steve's chest and quietly asked, "Did Phil tell you what happened?"

"He did," Steve confirmed.

"In general terms, not the details," Tony softly added.

"I don't even know where to begin," he admitted.

"The beginning," Tony suggested.

"Tell us what happened." 

“It was suppose to be a standard extraction,” Clint slowly began. “Go in, pick up several hostages and bring them home.”

When Clint paused, Steve ran his hand down his back, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "Go on," he encouraged when it appeared Clint was going to stop. 

Turning slightly, Clint kissed Steve's chest. "Nothing was simple. We managed to get to the rendezvous point with only a minimum of fuss. It was the trip back to the landing zone when things got sticky.”

“They had time to booby trap the road, right?” Tony asked knowing from harrowing personal experience how it felt getting caught in the middle of an ambush where the enemy used IEDs to destroy a military convoy. 

"Yeah,” Clint whispered in reply burying his face into Steve’s chest. “Yeah, they did.”

Tony didn’t say anything more. He just wrapped himself around Clint effectively cocooning the archer between him and Steve.

"We were so certain that this mission would end up being a milk run, but we were wrong.”

"You couldn't have known about the IED," Steve pointed out.

"I... I should have," Clint said his voice breaking as tears started to roll down his face once again. 

Steve wrapped his arm tighter around Clint, caressing the archer's back while dropping kisses on his head. When Clint looked up at him, he wiped the tear tracks away before giving him another kiss. "I know you. I know you did everything you could to insure the safety of your men. There was no way for you to know that the road that had been cleared for you had been compromised," Steve reassured Clint. 

"No, you don’t understand,” Clint said as he suddenly sat up pulling away from both of his lovers. He dropped his head into his hands ashamed of what he had allowed to happen to his team. “We were ambushed and it triggered a flashback. I couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything because I felt like Loki was back in my head controlling every one of my actions. I never felt so helpless in my life.”

Tony slid up behind Clint and pulled him close giving Clint the comfort he needed but was afraid to seek out. “What Loki did to you was a dick move,” he whispered into his lover’s ear. He had learned early on not to tell Clint that he wasn’t at fault for the things he had done under Loki’s control. “You are a good man and did everything in your power to complete your mission and bring your people safely home.”

“Yeah, right,” Clint scoffed bitterly. “I’m a fucking Boy Scout.” He pulled away, stood up and walked into the bathroom.

“Clint,” Steve called after him.

“No,” Tony said resting a hand on Steve’s arm. “Let him be. He’ll come back when he’s ready.”

“How can you be so certain?” Steve asked afraid he had done something to ruin his and Clint’s friendship.

“Because he’s like me,” Tony explained. “We like to hole up and lick our wounds; to try and piece our broken edges back together before we go forth and try to save the world again.”

Steve nodded fully understanding that explanation.

& * &

Clint walked into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. He looked into the mirror and tried hard to find the good man that Tony believe he was.

He was tempted to punch the mirror when he failed, but that would only bring his lovers running and they would do their best to try and make him feel better.

He didn’t want to feel better.

He wanted to feel angry and hurt.

He wanted to beat the living shit out of something, as if that would release him from the guilt that was eating him alive.

& * &

Tony curled up next to Steve and rested his head on Steve’s shoulder. He had thought about going after Clint, but something told him that Steve would take the opportunity to slip away. He hated when Steve did that and knew Clint did as well, but they had yet to find a way to get the soldier to stay.

Besides, Clint didn’t like to be disturbed when was trying to put his broken pieces back together. In fact the first time he had followed Clint, he had got his ass handed to him.

He softly sighed. 

“You okay?” Steve quietly inquired.

Tony looked up and gently smiled. “I’m good. Thank you for tonight.”

“You’re welcome,” Steve replied not certain that he had been of any help or not.

& * &

Clint eventually got his shit together and left the bathroom with a bit of his old self in his stride. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m starving,” he said stopping at the end of the bed and admiring his lovers who were curled around each other.

“There should be leftover pizza in the fridge,” Tony replied sitting up with a yawn.

“Darcy and Jane were finishing the last of it when I left to join you two,” Steve contributed before yawning and stretching.

“Actually, I’m more in the mood for a real home-cooked meal,” Clint said tossing them their pants that he had collected from the bathroom floor.

& * &

“So what kind of a home-cooked meal do you have in mind?” Tony asked as they entered the kitchen.

“Comfort food,” Clint answered as he dived into the fridge and pulled out a candy bar he had stashed their weeks earlier. He settled onto a stool at the breakfast bar.

“That covers a wide range of food, you know,” Steve remarked with a wry grin.

“Yeah,” Clint admitted as he finished his candy bar. “But, we’re a creative lot, so we should be able to come up with something remotely edible.”

“Let’s make this easy since it’s almost two in the morning,” Tony said grabbing the cookbook the real Jarvis had given him before he had left for MIT. “Name you favorite comfort foods.”

“Slowing down in your old age, Tony,” Clint taunted and received a smack to his flannel covered ass from Steve for his trouble.

Tony stuck his tongue out at Clint knowing it wasn’t the wisest of responses to Clint’s taunt, but he didn’t care. He was happy that Clint felt secure enough to crack wise. It meant the archer was on the road to recovering his equilibrium.

“No disrespecting your elders,” Steve gently reprimanded the archer slipping his hand from Clint’s ass to his hip and letting it stay there.

“Yes, sir,” Clint murmured with a glint of mischievousness in his eye as he leaned into Steve’s body.

“Behave,” Tony warned.

“But where’s the fun in that,” Clint retorted.

“Both of you behave or we’ll be here all night,” Steve admonished. 

Clint and Tony chuckled, but settled down to making baked macaroni and cheese, meatloaf and fudge brownies for dessert.

& * &

Phil had watched as the three men had walked into the kitchen. He could tell by the set of Clint's shoulders the archer hadn't worked through everything yet but was well on his way to finding his balance again. Judging from the just fucked look Tony was sporting they had made great strides because if Tony was looking that way, Clint had been taken very good care of.

He waited and watched as the three of them worked around each other in the kitchen making Clint's favorite comfort food. He saw how close they stood together while they cooked and sat together while they ate and how both Tony and Steve made certain Clint ate every bite of food on his plate.

When it looked like they were finishing up he positioned himself so he could snag one of them and hear for himself how Clint was faring and whether or not he needed to be concerned more than he normally was for his former agent. He might not be Clint’s handler any longer, but he would never stop caring for his one time agent and friend.

Clint and Tony walked out of the kitchen, arms wrapped around each other with Steve trailing behind. Phil knew Steve would try to go to his own room, feeling Clint and Tony no longer needed him. So he waited and waylaid the soldier so he could talk to him. "Steve."

"Phil."

"How is Clint really?" Phil asked.

Steve shook his head. "Better, but he's going to need some time."

"How much time?"

"I don't know. I think he’s done talking so now he needs to do whatever he does to get his head in the right place," Steve answered honestly.

"I'm going to take him off SHIELD duty and just have him work with the Avengers for a while."

"That might be a good idea. I know he's tired. And it's more than just losing a man. It's actual exhaustion."

Phil nodded. He understood that kind of total exhaustion that came from constantly working. He knew how to take Clint off SHIELD’s frontline without looking like he was being benched because of what happened. "Thank you."

Steve nodded and turned to head back to is own room.

"You're going the wrong way," Phil commented.

"I'm going back to my room."

"They need you, Steve. Go back to them. Help Tony take care of Clint. Our boy is going to need more than what Tony alone can give him," Phil told him. He really hoped that Steve's presence would be enough to help Clint get through this without falling apart.

Steve nodded. “Good night, Phil,” he said before turning his steps toward Tony and Clint’s bedroom.

“Goodnight, Steve,” Phil said at Steve’s retreating back before he returned to his floor.

* & *

Steve waited for his lovers to get settle onto the bed before he joined them. Despite what he promised Phil, he only planned to stay with them until they drifted off to sleep. 

He briefly grimaced when felt Clint curl along his left side slinging his arm possessively across Steve’s chest in an unconscious attempt to keep Steve with them. He heard Clint hum as he lightly caressed the archer’s arm marveling at the strength that lay within before becoming lost in thought.

Steve softly sighed as his thoughts drifted to his occasional lovers.

He still didn't fully understand why they kept coming to him when they were so good together without him, but he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to be within their sphere not when he'd fought so hard not to care about them and found himself failing.

Tonight had been hard for all of them. Clint had been in pain and they knew they would be dealing with the fall out of the mission gone wrong and the death of one of his men for a while. He had been glad when Tony had asked him to join them, but now it was time for him to go.

Let them be together.

When he was certain Clint and Tony had finally fallen sound asleep, he shifted little by little until he was sure he could get out from underneath Clint without waking the archer.

Just as he had slid out from beneath Clint and was about to sit up a hand grasped his arm. 

_Busted,_ he thought.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Steve looked over his shoulder and saw that Clint had risen to his elbow and was looking at him with serious intent. He sighed and answered, "To bed. I didn't mean to stay so long."

"So you were just going to sneak away in the middle of the night and leave us?"

"You don't need me now," Steve said with a shrug as he tried to pull away.

"What do you mean we don't need you?"

"You got what you needed from me, what you always get from me, now it's time for me to go and leave the two of you to each other."

"No," Clint said adamantly tightening his hold on Steve's arm. "You are so obtuse. We ask you to join us because we want you with us, not because we want you to 'take care' of us."

"Clint's right," Tony echoed sitting up behind Clint. "We want you to join us all the time. To be with us for the nights when we fall into bed and cuddle up to sleep and for the nights like tonight when one of us needs more.”

Steve looked between the two of them. He saw nothing but honesty and caring in their expressions. He really wanted to believe them, but he was afraid to risk his heart and have it broken again.

He had loved and lost his best friend. It wasn’t an experience he cared to repeat anytime soon.

Instead of asking who had hurt Steve so badly that he wasn't willing to trust his heart to another, Tony begged. "Please stay."

"Yes, please stay," Clint added his own plea.

Steve sighed.

He couldn't deny them when they looked at him like they were or when they begged. He allowed Clint to pull him back down on the bed and laid rather stiffly next to him until Tony crawled over both of them and curled up next to Steve on his right side. Both men caressed his chest and laid kisses along his shoulders until he started to relax.

"That's better," Tony murmured into the shell of Steve's ear and smiled when he felt the slight tremor travel through Steve's body. Steve's ears were one of the super soldier's main erogenous areas and Tony planned to take advantage of that kernel of knowledge.

"You're being an evil cock tease, Tony," Clint quietly reprimanded the genius. He had felt the tremor as well and had a sneaking suspicion about what Tony was planning.

"Am I being an evil cock tease, Steve?" Tony inquired before he began nibbling on Steve's earlobe.

"Yes, you are!" Steve moaned and pulled away from Tony's teasing only to have Clint pick up where Tony left off.

Steve moaned as he felt Clint's lips on his neck and sucking in the lobe of his ear, gently nipping at it. Every time he tried to move away from the torment of one, the other would pick up. 

And then they double teamed him. Clint slid down one side of his body pinning him in place while Tony shifted to begin kissing and nipping down Steve's shoulders and chest, taking time to worship the soldier's nipples.

Steve groaned and his hips arched off the bed as Tony continued to play with his nipples. The genius was hitting all of his erogenous zones.

Clint pushed Steve's hips back onto the bed and held them there as he began to lick Steve’s cock pushing the foreskin down to expose the tip and licking across the top before he swallowed him down.

Steve gasped as he felt Clint’s mouth on him. The rub of Clint’s tongue coupled with the scrape of his teeth had Steve wanting to beg for more, but it was the hand cupping his balls and the finger tapping behind that was almost his undoing.

"Jesus!" Steve swore.

Tony chuckled. "You made Cap swear, babe," he remarked as he continued to play with Steve's nipples.

Clint pulled off Steve's cock with an obscene pop. He smirked and leaned up to catch Tony's mouth in a heated kiss.

It was Tony's turn to moan as he tasted Steve on Clint's lips.

Steve caressed both men's backs as they kissed. When they pulled apart they both kissed him deeply before trading positions. 

Clint licked across Steve’s nipples and blew a breath of air across watching Steve shiver. As he licked and sucked on one nipple, he rolled the other between his thumb and finger, never leaving either unattended for long. 

Having replaced Clint at Steve's cock, Tony gave a quick lick across the head to collect the precum, but otherwise ignored it in favor of licking and mouthing Steve’s balls. He sucked in each globe, giving them equal attention like he had done with Steve’s nipples.

Steve's focus went out the window the moment Tony began to play with his balls. He panted and whined begging to be given his release as the pleasure both men were eliciting from him went from enjoyable to overwhelming.

He briefly considered using his safeword. 

"You okay?" Clint asked, looking up from where he'd been kissing Steve's chest.

"Please," Steve begged.

"Please what? Steve you have to tell us what you want," Tony told him.

He was unused to being in this position. He was the one who told people what to do. He was always the one who directed sex, took others apart. He wasn't used to being the one taken apart. "Love me," he finally said.

Clint was the first one to react. He wrapped an arm across Steve's chest and gently kissed the soldier's cheek. "We do Steve. We love you so much. It's why we want you with us."

Tony echoed Clint's words as he moved up Steve's body and kissed his other cheek. 

If he thought he'd been overwhelmed by how they had played his body, Steve was even more overwhelmed by their outpouring of love. He wasn't use to this and wasn't sure how to handle it. But they seemed to know that too. 

"Who do you want to make love to you?" Clint asked as he gave Steve another gentle kiss.

How did he choose between them? He'd never pictured himself in this position so he didn't know who he wanted.

Clint took charge and slid aside with a brief nod to Tony. 

This was an important moment in their developing relationship, because prior to this night Steve only allowed them to get him off by hand or mouth. Something or maybe someone from Steve's past kept him from wanting to be truly intimate with them, and they had been fine with that.

Tony looked Steve directly in the eye and asked, "Are you certain?"

"Yes," Steve breathed never once looking away from Tony.

Clint watched them and smiled. He handed Tony the lube that he had stashed under the pillows.

Tony took the lube and slicked up his fingers. He then ran one finger around Steve's hole before slipping it inside causing Steve to moan and his hips to arch off the bed.

Clint soothed Steve, running his hand up and down his chest, while whispering things in Steve's ear meant to excite and calm him at the same time. When he felt and knew Tony had felt Steve relax, he nodded to his lover to continue.

With liberal amount of lube, Tony rested his head on Steve's thigh and continued to slowly prepare Steve stopping whenever he felt their soldier getting too tense. This was for Steve and he wasn't about to ruin this by going faster than Steve was ready for them to go.

"How you doing, Steve?" Clint asked letting his hand lazily caress Steve's chest. "Ready for more?" 

"Yes, please," Steve moaned.

"You heard the man, babe," Clint told Tony.

Tony raised his head and favored his lovers with a soft smile. "Your wish is my command," he quipped before he added a second finger and began to scissoring them.

Steve became more vocal as Tony worked two fingers in and out of him. He'd never understood the pleasure part of sex from this end, until now. Just the feel of Tony's fingers moving in and out of him had him pushing into each thrust for more contact. 

Clint noticed Steve's reactions and with a tap on Tony's head he waggled three fingers indicating he should up the ante. 

Tony smiled and looked up at Steve. "Ready for me?" He asked needing to hear for himself that Steve was doing okay.

"God yes," Steve gasped.

Smiling, Tony added more lube and slid a third finger in. He could feel the momentary resistance as he entered Steve so he waited until he felt Steve relax and with a deep push and twist he aimed for and hit Steve's prostate. He couldn't help but chuckle at Steve's gasp and expletive.

As Tony moved in and out of him, he finally understood what all the fuss was about and why both of his lovers liked to be penetrated so much. "Close. So close," he gasped out. 

"Tony, it's time," Clint said as he looked up from where he'd been nibbling at Steve's collarbone. 

"Help me," Tony asked as he shifted between Steve's legs. 

Clint shifted to apply lube to Tony's cock and help Steve be in the right position as Tony slowly pushed in. 

When Tony was fully seated he leaned down to kiss Steve allowing him time to adjust before he started to move. 

Tony set a slow pace not wanting to ruin what appeared to be Steve's first time by hurting him or causing him to come prematurely.

Steve pushed against Tony's thrusts trying to get him to move faster, harder, something. He knew he needed something more but he didn't know what or how to ask for what he needed, so he just kept chanting, "More," over and over again. 

Speeding up Tony thrust into Steve careful not to overdo it no matter how much their soldier tried to encourage him to do so.

"Easy Steve, enjoy it," Clint said as he caressed Steve's chest kissing him and then reaching out to pull Tony into a kiss.

"I am," Steve managed with a breathy moan as Tony hit his prostrate again. "But, I need more."

Clint pulled away from Tony knowing exactly what Steve needed. He took Steve's weeping cock in hand and began to stroke it in time with Tony's thrusts.

Caught between the sweet torturous pleasure of Tony's cock sliding in and out of him and Clint's hand stroking up and down, playing with is foreskin as it rubbed over the top of his cock with every stroke, Steve felt his pleasure growing until it became almost unbearable and he came, spilling over Clint's hand. 

Tony felt Steve's body tighten around his cock and with only a few more strokes was coming deep inside their soldier. He collapsed forward only to be caught by both Steve and Clint as he rested on Steve's chest. 

"Is this what it's like for you... When I..." Steve haltingly asked once both he and Tony caught their breath.

Clint chuckled and answered, "Pretty much."

"I think I understand why you like it so much," Steve commented as he nuzzled Tony's neck and gave him a kiss.

Tony chuckled kissing Steve's chest he added, "Just wait, it gets better."

"Better?"

Leaning over to kiss Steve, Clint whispered against his lips, "Much, much better."

"Jesus, you're going to kill me."

"But what a way to go," Tony said from where he lounged on Steve's chest and heard both of them chuckle.

"You are incorrigible," Steve told him.

"And yet you still love me."

"Yes. I do," Steve admitted for the first time.

"And we love you," Clint told their soldier hoping that this time Steve would believe it when he said it.

Tony felt his cock slip from Steve's body and rolled to the opposite side of Clint. He picked up one of the discarded wash clothes and did his best to clean them up, so that they wouldn’t fall asleep all sticky and itchy.

Clint rested a hand on Tony's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You doing okay over there?"

"I'm wonderful," Tony replied. "How about you?"

"I'm doing good," Clint answered with a soft smile. "How about you, Steve?"

Steve smiled and tightened his embrace on both men. "Wonderful is a good word," he answered. In fact he didn't know he could feel this wonderful before now.

"You aren't going to try and run away from us now are you?" Clint asked running a hand down Steve's chest and kissing his shoulder.

Steve shook his head. "No, I'm not. But you're going to have to understand if sometimes I pull away. I lost the only other person I loved and we are always at such a risk..."

"Bucky Barnes," Tony said softly. His dad had told him about Steve's best friend and how his death almost destroyed Steve.

Steve nodded.

"Will you tell us about him?" Clint asked. He had read Steve's file before he moved into the Tower wanting to know more about Steve and in the file was a brief bio on Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes.

"He was my best friend," Steve said quietly as if that explained everything. He didn't know how to define what he had with Bucky. "He was always there for me. He got me out of scrapes. He was..."

"Your lover?" Tony asked.

"Not in so many words. Not like you two are to me," Steve admitted. "We might have been if not for the war, if not for him getting killed," he added quietly.

Clint shifted so he could take Steve in his arms while Tony stayed cuddled against Steve's chest.

"You loved him?" Tony asked.

"Very much so," Steve answered quietly.

"I know how that feels," Tony admitted thinking about Pepper. He was glad that they had been able to remain friends once their relationship had ended.

"Yeah," Clint agreed. His mind turned toward his brief affair with Tasha. It had been based solely on need and when it had ended they were still friends.

"We all have our own version of Bucky," Tony said quietly.

"Yeah..." Clint repeated so Steve knew that he wasn't alone in the feelings he had for his best friend. They all had that person in their life that they loved on so many levels.

"But that doesn't change how much we love each other or you," Tony added.

"Or how much we want you to be a full time part of us, rather than a once in awhile part of us," Clint stated.

"I'm willing to give us a try," Steve said after a few moments of thought. He still loved Bucky and he hoped that he could love Tony and Clint the same way.

"That's all we ask," Tony replied speaking for Clint as well as himself.

Steve nodded curling into Clint's embrace. He wondered if he should find it odd that the man he was supposed to be taking care of was currently taking care of him. Clint's strength had never surprised him more than it did this night.

With Tony cuddled up to him he started to drift off to sleep himself and as sleep came he wondered what this would look like in the morning.

Clint gently caressed both men as he felt them drifting off to sleep. His earlier nap had taken the edge off his exhaustion but there was a part of him that was afraid to fall asleep for fear of what he would see in his dreams. He'd seen the bomb first hand that had taken Berndt's life and he didn't look forward to repeating that moment in his dreams.

Tony reached up and took Clint's hand. "Sleep, we'll be here if the dreams come." He was all too familiar with the dreams that haunted a person.

“Thank you,” Clint softly replied giving Tony’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Love you,” Tony said returning Clint’s hand squeeze before letting his exhaustion get the better of him.

“I know,” Clint whispered finally getting in the last word.

fin or is it?


End file.
